Cloud USA

“Before anything else, what’s an ahjumma? It’s the Korean word for Manang or for married women, or for women in their 30s and above, married or not (unless or until they become grandmothers… then the ahjumma becomes a halmoni).”  ^___^

And thus begins the most interesting and satisfying post I’ve read this week, certainly the most enjoyable one to come out of Rain’s stay in the Philippines.

Thank heavens for wife, daughter, sister, aunt, niece, friend, Kdrama-watcher, lawyer, and Rain fan Yenskay of the Minding My Mind blog.  What a breath of fresh air! 🙂

Ahjumma to ahjumma, Yenskay (I’m single, though)—your experience at the Intensity show, so intelligently written and filled with detail and admiration of Christian, U-Kiss, and Rain, is an account that I had to immediately read again, a second time.  Imagining myself watching Rain waiting in the wings to come on stage put my heart all aflutter.  I admit it.

I’m not surprised in the least by the celeb’s posse that was downgrading U-Kiss from out in the audience.  The great majority of everything we read from the time U-Kiss and Rain touched down on Filipino soil were ignorant comments, complaints, and more complaints.  At times I wondered, why the heck is Rain even there?

Now I know… he was there for fans like you.

I can’t thank you enough for sharing your story with us.

— Stephe @cloudusa.wordpress.com ^@@^
www.cloudusa.org

AHJUMMAS IN CRAZY FAN-GIRL MODE
By: Yenskay
Source: Minding My Mind
Images: Yenskay @mindingmymind

*Note to Cloud USA regulars: This is all Yenskay, including what’s in brackets. — ^@@^

Before anything else, what’s an ‘ahjumma’?  It’s the Korean word for ‘Manang’ or for married women, or for women in their 30s and above, married or not [unless or until they become grandmothers that the ahjumma becomes a halmoni].  ^___^

Korean Kpop Superstar Rain [Bi in Hangeul] or Jung Ji Hoon [in real life] became widely popular when he starred in the kdrama hit ‘Full House’ in 2004.  Rain starred in Hollywood’s Speed Racer [2008?] and Ninja Assassin [2009].  Me and my sister [the other ahjumma, and my partner in my asiandrama foolishness, hehehe], were already fans of Rain way before Full House in the drama ‘Sangdoo, Let’s Go to School’.   I have to admit though, that it was in Full House that I became his fan to the highest level.  Yeah, my sister and I went to South Korea and visited the set of ‘Full House’ in 2008.

I was scheduled to be in Manila from Sept. 10-12, 2010 coming from a court hearing in Dumaguete.  I did not hear of Rain’s Intensity Concert in Manila slated in September 11, 2010.  I thank my friend Kristine who took time to ask me if I were watching.  It did not take two hours.  I bought our VIP tickets immediately.

September 10 was later on declared as national holiday because it was Eid’l Fitr [the end of Ramadan].  Therefore, my trip to Manila should have been canceled.  Thank God for my supportive, generous and understanding husband, he told me to proceed to Manila nevertheless and make the trip to purposely watch the concert.  He paid for my sister’s and mine’s [pricey] VIP tickets and my plane fare.  Well, hubby is not new to my kdrama and kpop fixations, hehehe.  He watches kdramas with me.  He traveled to South Korea [and to Japan] with me too.  He was thrilled for us that we were finally meeting Rain – he knows Rain belongs to the top of my list and is VIP in my kpopworld!

The concert was finalized barely three weeks from its schedule.  Yeah, so sad to hear the groans of the students who did not have time to save and buy concert tickets.  I bought our tickets three days after the formal announcement was made.

After I bought our tickets, I somehow found myself stumbling into the facebook page of CloudPh, the official fan club of Rain in the Philippines.  Thank goodness, I found it.  I registered and paid for my sister and me as members.  CloudPh facilitated buying of tickets for fans especially those from overseas who were flying in to watch the concert.  CloudPh was able to make arrangements that the tickets be discounted at 50% for the members.   I was like, WHATTTT!!!, hehehe!  Members of CloudPh told us that their tickets were not discounted too and yeah, sometimes, being fans of Rain come with a hefty price tag.  CloudPh was even making arrangements that fans get certain discounts at some hotels — and I think this included Manila Hotel where Rain was staying.  CloudPh likewise worked for the printing of our shirts and the procurement of our light sticks.  When some 60-70 Rain fan members from Japan arrived, CloudPh personally assisted them.  Whoa, good job to CloudPh, especially the officers!

As the official fanclub, CloudPh was also told and requested to keep Rain’s stay quiet, meaning no picture taking, autograph signing, etc…of course, we fans obliged.  I would have wanted to linger at Manila Hotel and stalk him in the shooting of kdrama “Runaway aka Fugitive” but being a fan, we had to obey the request.  This notwithstanding, the officers of CloudPh were silently there in the sidelines – presscon, the shooting, the airport, etc.  I think two of them appeared on national TV doing the [first and postponed] press conference of Rain where one even sang Rain’s song, omo, omo!

The day before the concert, we went to Mall of Asia to claim our tshirts and our light sticks.  It was nice being in the company of the fans.  You know, it was so liberating being with everybody who shares your passion.  We understood each other.  We spoke of Rain, dropping phrases of Korean and laughed together.  A lot of ahjummas in that meeting.  Rain was already asked in an interview I saw on Arirang Channel about his fan base mostly composed of older women to which he answered he was flattered and grateful.  It’s really true, the ahjummas thing [including us].  In fact, the officials of CloudPh appear to be in their late 40s [no offense made if they’re younger, hehehe].  I say, ain’t it better his fans are older and earning money?  I later heard his Japanese fans hoarded Rain’s Back to Basic album in Odyssey the day before the concert.  The cd costs P 650.00 but I think compared to the price in Japan, they found it very cheap.  We got our copies too.

After buying his newest album, my sister and I stayed up late that night to memorize the songs [hip song, hip song, hip song ♪♫♪] so that we can sing with him the next day.  We only memorized the English version of Love Song [but Rain sang the Korean Version, aigoo!].

CloudPh told us to be at the venue by 9AM.  My sister was still doing rounds in PGH and I was still accompanying my beloved niece at her ballet class after which we met my friend JC Guapo and had lunch together.  It was only around 2pm that we arrived at the left side VIP entrance.  First on the line were the Japanese fans [who were around 70 in number].  The guard told us they already camped out at 2AM of September 11.

Continue reading ‘[fan account] Before anything else, what’s an ahjumma?’

Posted in Bi Rain, Bi Rain News, Cloud USA, Jung Ji Hoon
Tags: Bi Rain at Intensity, Jung Ji Hoon, rain bi, Rain fan account